In this world, Magic is Everything. All people, all races, are granted with the power to perform mystical and magical feats via grimories, mystical tomes granted to each and every child on their 15th birthday. Those blessed by the mana can have their names written down in legend.
Shattered Grimoires is the work of the mind(s) of Ardere & Shattered Grimoire's staff. All characters and content are copyright their creators, and may not be replicated without their creators' permission. Black Clover is owned by Yuki Tabata and published by Viz Shonen Jump. All images belong to their original owners. The theme you are currently viewing was made by Eliza of ElizaCodes exclusively for Shattered Grimoires.
[attr="class","maintex"]The rythmic sound of droplets falling into the tiny pool beneath them finally put his twitching hand at ease. His glove was stained, his coat too. His right palm a mess of bitemarks. But his face seemed to be tranquill. He could even smile at the sight beneath him.
The body of a man, who had until very recently been an extremely loud and conceited individual, lay between Ryke's feet, now lifeless and silent. One leg had been turned into a mungled mess, a shoulder had been stabbed so much the arm was barely hanging on. A finger was missing from the other hand. A finger with a nice little silver ring on it. Ryke gently held it between his own bloodied fingers.
It was a job well done, and it had lasted for more than three days. He loved those, the long ones. The ones where he had to stalk and wait, and always be alert. His mind had no second to spare. And at the end of it all, he was always greeted by a strong wave of bliss. It was an ideal cycle. His head tilted upwards slowly, eyes reaching for the sky. It was still dark, a darkness full of stars, but it would clear soon, and so too would his peace of mind. He'd have to think again of things that were not certain, he would be trapped in his own head with nothing to pull him out of it until he got another job and embarked on another short trip of brief exhilaration.
His eyes turned back to the rogue finger in his hand. Turning it on its sides made the silver ring gleam in the moonlight, a tiny light in the bloody darkness of his hand. He took it off and discarded the cut-off finger with an absent minded toss. The ring would be enough proof for his employer, he summised. Looking around with a clearer mind, the alleyway felt even narrower than before, though the blood pooling under the body gave it a bit of false depth. He didn't have to clean this up. The guy had plenty of enemies to begin with, and had also recently won a bit of a fortune, so that would be plenty of other people after him as well. Then again, it would be pretty suspicious if the man was found dead and obviously murdered with all his earnings on him.
Without a second thought, Ryke crouched down and began fishing through the dead man's pockets. By the second pocket, his hands froze. The sound of gentle little footsteps approached from behind him in tha backalley. Their familiarity made him slouch where he crouched. "Ah, it's this little miss again," he almost sang the words in a mocking tone, as he got up and lazily counted the few coins he got off his victim. Without turning to look at the girl, he continued, "I'm afraid you're a bit late. I got to play all by myself with this gentleman." The ring was safe in one of his pockets, the job was done, and his mind was beginning to blur. As his hand started to slightly twitch again, he finally turned to look at the girl, flashing her a cheeky smile. "My win this time."
[PTabbedContent=] [PTab=ooc]silly little game of murder //hover banner for #words[/PTab={tab-min-width:50px!important;background:#242424;tab-background-color:#242424; tab-font-size:10px;tab-font-family:courier new;tab-text-transform:uppercase;tab-letter-spacing:0px;tab-font-weight:bold;tab-color:#a1a1a1;tab-hover-background-color:#4a4a4a;tab-hover-webkit-transition-duration:0.5s;tab-hover-moz-transition-duration:0.5s;tab-hover-transition-duration:0.5s;tab-webkit-transition-duration:0.5s;tab-moz-transition-duration:0.5s;tab-transition-duration:0.5s;}] [PTab=stats]
"Oh no it is quiet alright. I don't want to take what isn't mine. That would be mean and cruel of me" She spoke with a innocent smile and a look of sadness and disappointment. Her shoulder length cotton candy pink hair was up in a side ponytail by a jet black ribbon tied in a bow. her equally pink eyes watched him holding a bright hope within their depth while at the moment holding great sadness. She adjusted her skirt slightly as she shaked her head looking towards him,
[break][break] "I am sorry you have to go after scraps in such a unsightly manner." She spoke sweetly moving towards him as she looked over his shoulder at the body "You could have made it much more prettier." She added backing up slowly before turning her back towards him lacing her fingers before her back " So tell me...How are you going to dispose of the body? Your appearance is messy and unsightly...Your cuts are sloppy." She added spinning towards him in grace perking her head up "Make it quick sounds like some others are coming this way." She said with a smile walking away from him. she ran her lilac painted nails of her left hand along the wall to her left. She turned towards him before jumping on to a small pile of three boxes "What are you gonna do little puppy? Are you going to kick off the scent of those hounds we call magic knights who somehow caught the scent." She teased softly in a whispered placing a finger to her lips. Winking with her left eye before she turned her back to the wall stepping back off the edge of the box into the wall. the light sounds of her footsteps moving in a hidden alley, they were slow and thoughtful as if taunting him to follow.
[attr="class","maintex"]There weren't many faces in Ryke's memories. He met most people with his gaze averted; shoes were easier for him to identify than faces were. On the rare occasions that he did take in a person's features, said person usually ended up looking very red and dead by the end of it, so those faces were useless to him. But there were some, in recent years, that he was forced to look closely at who were still very much alive and breathing. His employers, dealers he frequented in the black market, a back-alley doctor or two; and then there was this girl.
"This young lady is so kind," he said with a modest little smile to match their pretentious back and forth. "Well, I am no professional." Mimicking her, Ryke turned his attention towards the body again, looking at the mangled mess with indifference. "But I will try to make it prettier next time. Wouldn't want to strain your eyes with the ugliness again." His eyes stayed on the corpse, his shoulders tensing up. He felt nervous in a way, but instead of worrying about it, he was ecstatic. This girl, he had come to know, was dangerous. Her innocent features and the brightness of her smile were like bait at the end of a fishing line. He had only known her in places filled with the scent of blood, and so her antics were known to him, but it didn't make her any less unnerving. Her mere presence brought him unease, and right now, it was exactly what he needed.
With the little pink serpent slithering behind him and mocking him with her words, he crouched down again and looked over the dead man. He had planned to leave as soon as he'd finished the job, but her appearance had delayed him. "Puppy, huh," he murmured to himself. Having dropped his nonchalant facade for a moment his face was unreadable. He gave a swift and harsh tug at the man's shirt, tearing a piece of the fabric off and held it between his teeth, before straightening up again. His coat was off him in a flash, and he turned it inside out, tossing it over his shoulder. By then he too could hear the approach of a group of at least three people from the other side of the alley. His eyes stayed focused on that corner bathed in street light, as he quickly started to wrap the fabric piece he'd torn off the man's shirt around his bloody hand. It wouldn't do much for the bite marks, but it would keep the wounds at bay for the time being.
He took a brief moment to close his eyes and focus on himself. A pulse reverberated through him as he made himself silent to the sensory senses of all mages, and he immediately dashed back into the shadows of the alley just as the shapes of the Knights took over the scene. He had cut it close. His hand wasn't twitching either. All was riskily well, and he wanted more of it. Having turned a corner into the alley the girl had disappeared into, he quickened his pace to catch up to her casual walk. "So," he began casually, when he finally reached her side, "what is the little Miss doing around here this time? If you weren't after the "scraps", then are you here for something else?" He looked down at her curiously with an innocent smile, still matching her pace, and even staying half a step behind her. "If you don't mind this lowly dog asking?"
[PTabbedContent=] [PTab=ooc][Cold-Blooded Perk POST 1/3] i imagine they look so weird appearance-wise side by side to a third person lmao //hover banner for #words[/PTab={tab-min-width:50px!important;background:#242424;tab-background-color:#242424; tab-font-size:10px;tab-font-family:courier new;tab-text-transform:uppercase;tab-letter-spacing:0px;tab-font-weight:bold;tab-color:#a1a1a1;tab-hover-background-color:#4a4a4a;tab-hover-webkit-transition-duration:0.5s;tab-hover-moz-transition-duration:0.5s;tab-hover-transition-duration:0.5s;tab-webkit-transition-duration:0.5s;tab-moz-transition-duration:0.5s;tab-transition-duration:0.5s;}] [PTab=stats]
[attr="class","withoutyouscroll"] Saeka halted her walk after a few steps down the ally looking back towards the entrance using her senses to watch the scene. She had ran into him a few times and already deemed on their first encounter, Killing someone with possible potential and entertainment would be a waste as she was sure she would find some fun to occupy between jobs and missions from her family. She enjoyed not being stuck at home, the world was full of possible fun and so many warm bodies to make cold.
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She enjoyed her life and loved her family. however all a lot scarier then here there were a few she got along with and others she couldn't get to know from how well they kept their secrets hidden. There was one that was just like her but more dormant then she wanted him to be. It was a saddening sight but one she knew would happen to her if she didn't keep herself in check.
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She placed her perfectly lilac painted nails finger tips against her lips letting out a light giggle seeing Ryke had just barely managed to escape and evade the magic knights as she heard him move into the alley she had entered before catching up to her with ease. "Oh me? I am just taking a stroll through the area between jobs. Nothing new needing to report." She said with a smile as she walked with him towards the exit infront of her revealing the bustling shops and stalls. She watched all the lively bodies and conversations going on before she reached to a barrel to her left pulling out a laced umbrella opening it.
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Assuming he was going to follow her as he has been she decided to allow his assistance to continue her stroll towards the real purpose of being there. " Here since you will be following me to continue our conversation, hold this. "She mentioned handing him the umbrella. Whether he took it or not she didn't care. Nor was she going to wait. The night was young and the scent was fading greatly for this tiny huntress.
[attr="class","maintex"]Grateful for the continued distraction, Ryke didn't even notice himself accepting the opened lacey parasol that was given to him. It wasn't just his habit of doing what he was told; her voice and her countenance itself carried a sense of authority that sent chills down his spine and made him grin with the delight of being so close to danger. And so he held up the little umbrella that barely covered his own shoulders, angling it in a way that shaded the girl from the street and the vendors' lights.
The more they walked, the more passing glances fell on the pair. And it wasn't because of his unusually heavy jacket or his overall uncanny appearance. It was probably the damned parasol, but he still held it up, tilted in just the right way, and his smile refused to unhinge itself from his lips. "Just a stroll, just a stroll," he murmured as if humming it, "you have a lot of free time, then?" His eyes turned from the faceless mass of people in front of them to her, his smile broadening. "Do you have some time to play with little old me, then? I can't remember where we're at with our scores, but we can always just go for a new round and start counting from zero again. I'm a bit tired from today's work, so I might be slow, and I'm sure the little miss would win, but, who knows? Dogs get lucky sometimes."
[PTabbedContent=] [PTab=ooc][Cold-Blooded Perk POST 2/3] blood thirsty hehehe //hover banner for #words[/PTab={tab-min-width:50px!important;background:#242424;tab-background-color:#242424; tab-font-size:10px;tab-font-family:courier new;tab-text-transform:uppercase;tab-letter-spacing:0px;tab-font-weight:bold;tab-color:#a1a1a1;tab-hover-background-color:#4a4a4a;tab-hover-webkit-transition-duration:0.5s;tab-hover-moz-transition-duration:0.5s;tab-hover-transition-duration:0.5s;tab-webkit-transition-duration:0.5s;tab-moz-transition-duration:0.5s;tab-transition-duration:0.5s;}] [PTab=stats]
[attr="class","withoutyouscroll"] "Aw. you think my schedule is always packed? Only those with no goal allows a hectic packed schedule. You lose the excitement if you make a job just that. No you need to make it a hobby. "She spoke in curious thought
[break][break] "Yes I have free time because I have certain clients that wish for certain services." She spoke as she continued her walk " However, I just finished a job and have already reported back in with success so now I am just waiting for the next order." She spoke gently a tone only he could here. She kept a bright smile and skip to her step moving through the crowded streets stopping at a stall as she remembered it well " Alright so it was here." She muttered looking around remembering the scene well " David was there with his damn sword magic out...pointing at a crowd." She spoke softly to herself moving her head from side to side "I was there next to that body...Where did those pebbles come from.." She said turning around moving to another spot. " HIs had to come from there.... the one for me was from that way...So it moved huh? Clever." She whispered narrowing her eyes in deadly thought.
[break][break] She looked towards him before moving to him hearing of him asking if she had time to play a game with him once again " Aw you want attention? You are an oddball aren't you? I am sure I could give you another chance at a game. However, what are the stakes? Whatcha want to risk for my time?" She asked in soft glee clapping her hands, jumping up and down, acting like the small girly noble she looked giving the false sense of enjoying the day with her servant.
[attr="class","maintex"]Ryke watched the girl skip from one side to the other, her eyes darting back and forth, completely ignoring her parasol holder. A constant string of whispers trailed alongside her movements. From what he could pick up there had been an altercation. And putting two and two together, this was personal. He wondered what kind of menace had managed to tick off this little snake so much that she was out here on her day off pursuing clues. "Your pray got away?" he mimicked her whispering mockingly, his smile still present on his face. "Bit sloppy yourself from time to time, huh?" He was asking to be stabbed; consciously asking.
Though deadlines were not being breached, the Magic Knights who had by now no doubt discovered his own sloppy work a few alleys down the road would soon be making their way through the crowd looking for anyone suspicious. He wasn't wearing anything obnoxious, he never did. All black and a countenance of someone tired and ready to head home from work, the pink parasol he was holding was the only thing distinguishing him from the masses. Still, he continued to hold it up.
"Hmm... What would the little lady have me risk? What do you think I could give you that would be worth your time?" He spread out his arms theatrically with another grin. The blood on his coat had began to occasionally leave tiny droplets of blood on the paved road behind them, and a simple turn of his head that made his messy hair move out of the way, revealed a small splash of red under his left eye. He wasn't just asking to be stabbed, he was practically asking to be killed on sight. But it was all to addicting to stop now.
[PTabbedContent=] [PTab=ooc][Cold-Blooded Perk POST 3/3] crazy person behavior //hover banner for #words[/PTab={tab-min-width:50px!important;background:#242424;tab-background-color:#242424; tab-font-size:10px;tab-font-family:courier new;tab-text-transform:uppercase;tab-letter-spacing:0px;tab-font-weight:bold;tab-color:#a1a1a1;tab-hover-background-color:#4a4a4a;tab-hover-webkit-transition-duration:0.5s;tab-hover-moz-transition-duration:0.5s;tab-hover-transition-duration:0.5s;tab-webkit-transition-duration:0.5s;tab-moz-transition-duration:0.5s;tab-transition-duration:0.5s;}] [PTab=stats]
[attr="class","withoutyouscroll"] Saeka stopped her walk remaining still for a few seconds before turning towards him her once bright innocent eyes and smile was no longer on her face. In their place was the eyes of a born killer with no remorse.
[break][break] "My prey never escapes...I am disgusted by filfth that is sloppy and put what I live for to shame. It is parasites like you that will never be graced by my blades." She spoke softly with daggers of death stabbing with each word that escaped her lips, before looking forward once again keeping her back to him as she took a breath in turning towards him again. the bright innocent dow eyed girl back with a smile painted on her face " Oh you might wanna hide that blood, you reek of it mister?" She said grabbing ahold of him dragging him into the butcher's shop, staying quiet as she watched the magic knights move past without a thought.
[break][break] "There you go...you might wanna clean yourself up. The butcher is out back tending to his new slaughter so now would be the best to clean that horrible smell off you." She said, retrieving her parasol from him, shutting it as she folded her arms. She wasn't one for assisting anyone other then her own wants but she was bored and he seemed to have even more screws loose then she did.
[break][break] "As for your earlier question, I allowed him to escape as I had another I was keeping an eye on out of my own interests. "She spoke remaining vague of her real reason for looking for her prey. She was the hunter, not the hunted. She was going to find whoever it was that played unfairly and destroy them with her own hands. [break][break]
(Leaving thread due to other being on an indefinite hiatus)
